By Robin K. Linkhart of Longmont, Colorado, USA
Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Rebecca was three, and our twins Andrew and Matthew were three when I took on babysitting for another young couple’s baby. It was January, and our three toddlers loved having baby Jessica at our house five days a week, instead of only seeing her at church.
One day that spring, Jessica’s dad came to pick her up. Steve hadn’t been at church for a few months due to work that took him out of town. He’d grown a beard to keep his face warm while working outside all winter. I had the top of our front Dutch door open to let the sunshine in through the outer glass storm door.
Jessica was safely strapped to me in a front-carry baby pouch while I peeled potatoes in the kitchen. When Steve rang the doorbell, I heard my two boys running to see who it was. A second after they got to the front door, I could hear their little feet running back toward the kitchen. They bounded in announcing, “Mom! Jesus is here!” to which I replied, “Tell him I’m not ready!”
Over the years I’ve struggled to understand what it means to “keep awake” and what the significance is of not knowing the day or hour. One day my boys and I were at the hardware store. They were five, and I let them browse the toys one aisle over from me while I shopped. After several minutes they quickly walked over to me whispering, “Mom, look at that guy (they pointed to a young man with a beard). Is that Jesus?”
My boys kept seeing “Jesus” because he was part of their life, and in their innocent belief it seemed natural to bump into him. It was expectant anticipation of possibility, always ready never knowing when or how it would happen. How many times have I missed seeing the Holy Spirit at work in the everyday of life, because I wasn’t fully present, awake, ready to see and act? The Kingdom of God is like that, poignantly breaking open into the now even when we aren’t ready.
Prayer Phrase
“Do good…share what you have” (Hebrews 13:16).
Enough to Share
Take a moment to notice what you are holding onto—perhaps a worry, a resource, or a desire for more. Take a breath and release it. Ask yourself, “Where am I being invited to trust that there is enough?” Think of one way you can share what you have today—your time, your gifts, your attention, or your resources. As you breathe in, say, “There is enough.” As you breathe out, “If I share.” Pray, “May my trust become generosity, and may my generosity create abundance for the welfare of all.”
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.